Comey walked up to Trump and preemptively reached out for a handshake to avoid a hug, Wittes said. "But Trump pulled him into an embrace and Comey didn't reciprocate. If you look at the video, it's one person shaking hands and another hugging," he added.

Wittes also revealed that Comey was "completely disgusted by the episode", fearing that it may be an "intentional attempt to compromise him in public."

Despite his various attempts to bring Comey into the fold, Trump continued to receive resistance. On 9 May, Trump sacked Comey in what would become the beginning of controversy-filled week for the president.